Hope Victorious

  I believe that God is not limited by time. Scripture teaches us that God exists outside of time and that while He is present with us, He simultaneously exists in our future and our past. Of course, our human reasoning has difficulty understanding what that means and how it is possible. We often desire to understand and become frustrated when we are unable to grasp a concept intellectually. This can frustrate and even limit our pursuit of relationship with God. God is spirit and our connection with Him is by faith. Faith is, by definition, unseen. So there is a limit to how much we can rely on understanding as we relate to God. He will always require us to have faith. Hebrews 11:6 states this truth in this way: “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”   When we consider the timelessness of God, we must surrender our desire to understand...

  I write because I enjoy writing. I have always written letters, little poems, lists, thoughts, dreams and ideas. I love to write cards to friends. I fill journals and notebooks. I write on scraps of paper and the backs of receipts. In books I write my thoughts and questions in the margins. I always dreamed of writing and publishing books. I thought I would write children’s books. I dreamed of publishing a book of poems that would celebrate the beauty and peace of nature. I had a knowing, deep down, that I would write a book about healing, innocence and my journey to wholeness after sexual abuse. This last one is the dream that has been realized. I published “Restored Innocence” in December 2020. I wrote that book over the course of several years, in the midst of raising 4 boys. Taking the step of publishing, was huge and it transformed me. It was a risk, an investment and brought its own challenges. I’m so grateful for that experience and I hope to publish more books in the futur...

New beginnings can be both exciting and intimidating. Whether it is a new job, the start of a new year or living in a new city, there are unknowns associated with a “fresh start”. There is potential for both blessing and hardship, for growth, for challenges and rewards. Often the way one feels about the start of something new is largely impacted by how they feel about what preceded.   If your focus at the close of 2025 was on how you grew and the good things that took place, you are more likely to be looking forward with anticipation to this new year. If instead, your attention is drawn to the disappointments or failings of the completed year, it is more likely that you will enter the new year with discouragement and anxiety.   I find it helpful to acknowledge both the challenges that caused pain and those that felt rewarding. Strength can be drawn from both as well as wisdom and reliance. If there are regrets associated with ending a year or things that remain unresolved, it...